The South western news., 1887-05-18
How long is it since you were

How long is it since you we're in
Ms?
I lett there three years since:
should have gone sooner, had it not
been for poor Harry Deane; I
promised his sister Elsie that /
would see him safely out Of his
difficulty. That done, / removed
to the East, where | have remain
ed, until six months ago came to
England.
I never heard of Harry Deane.
exclaimed Dunton, not too proud
now to seek an explanation. i
knew Elsie. but never knew she
had brother; there must be some
mistake. Thought you were to
m try her.
"T Dever hope dior such an hon
OF" responded the other, "thoueht
she was a noble and lovely 92irl,
but she was when l first knew her,
engaged to man who cruelty de-
serted her because he heard of
her brothers disgrace;
his base desertion nearly
killed Elsie, / was counsel for
Harry, and knew the family well.
Before old Mr.. d .ane's death,
Harry was wild, and behaved so
altogether bad, that the old gentle
man 6isinherited him. After his
death, Harry came back, but dared
not openly show his face. AS Mr..
Deane was special friend of mine,
| was the means of few meetings
between the brother and sister, for
Elsie always loved him and thought
him innocent. He died two years
ago, but no one except myself out
side of the family knew his where
abouts."
Dunton seemed like one para,
lyzed; he babe Mr.. Corey adicu,
aud sought his room. What a
crowd of recollections came thr0ng-
ing into his brain;
doubt and dismay, sorrow and re-
morse. Could he have been wrong?
Had his own hastiness led him into
an error which bad been the source
of FIVE years of unremitting sorrow
and regret?
Such women a. Elsie Deane are
not loved lightly and forgotten cas-
lily. Whoever gives his whole heart
into the keeping Of such an one
can never reclaim it. The words
of gifted authoress, come so fast
upon nay thought, that l must bor-
row them: "There was in her
spiritual charm which, when a man
recognizes in q woman is an at
traction as mysterious as it is irres.
istible makes him crave for her
as the one necessity ofhis ex tence
risk everything to win her and
having won her, love her to the
last with a passion which survives
all change, all decay"
Mark Dunton at last admitted the
truth of this, and the days that
must elapse before he could reach
home seemed interminable.
That night, when the midnight
bells chimed, he was writings
"My deeply wronged Elsie,
Five years ago a miserable,
brokenhearted man left, in ieal,
Gus passion, all that was dear 10
him on earth, to travel in foreign
lands, that he might forget one
whom he believed false to him.
do not justify myself, Elsie; ! car
now look back and see that I wa,
selfish and exacting, unworthy the
love of a woman as pure as you. ]
am unworthy still, but Elsie.
have passed through a fiery furnac,
of affection, and | think can safe
ly say that the seeds of jealous bit
terness are eradicated from my
Leart. Until to-day still believed
you untrue to your VOWS; l be
lieved you TO have married TIL
man who was the innocent cause o
my jealous anger, and only to-day
met him to learn the truth. Oh
Elsie! have you forgiven me? Cal
you ever forgive me? Instead o
making me forget you, these fv
i years have only added brightnes